The present invention relates to tieing or binding bales of compressed material. Specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for tieing and securing wires or other binding devices wrapped around such bales, which apparatus may be easily serviced and maintained.
Various types of bulk materials are shipped, stored, and otherwise processed and distributed in the form of bales. For example, recyclable materials, such as paper, plastic and metal are formed into bales for easier handling. Bulk material such as cotton might also be processed into compressed bales. Formed bales are easier and more efficient to handle than loose bulk material. Furthermore, bales are more organized and take up less storage or shipping space than loose material.
In a baling process, the loose material is collected and formed into a bale. After the bales of material are formed into the proper shape, they are usually wrapped or otherwise fitted with a structure which will keep them in the desired bale shape. For example, it is generally known to wrap bales of compressible material with wire or some other elongated binding device to keep the bales in their form for shipping and storage. Wire is preferable because or its strength, low cost, and the ease with which it is handled.
One method of forming a bale directs the compressible material into an automatic baler where it is pressed into a bale by a ram and then moved by the ram through the baler. At a certain position along the baling path, the bale is tied or bound together with wire. More specifically, a tieing system is used with the baler and guides a continuous wire strand around the bale to surround the bale as it progresses through the baler. The wire is overlapped when it completely surrounds the bale. The tieing system engages the bale and the overlapped wire and ties the wire around the bale.
In one system, a tieing head associated with the tieing system engages the overlapped wire and twists together the overlapped ends of the wire strands to secure the wire in place around the bale. The tieing head generally comprises a rotating pinion which has a slot to receive the overlapped wire ends. When the pinion is rotated, the wire ends are twisted together. Examples of various automatic balers and tieing methods are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,120,238; 4,155,296; 4,167,902, and 4,459,904.
Tieing systems for tieing wire around bales often need maintenance or other attention, such as to repair or replace an inoperable part in the system. However, existing wire tieing systems are sometimes difficult and time consuming to maintain. For example, some existing tieing systems incorporate a continuous wire guide through which the bale passes and a tieing head coupled to the guide and very close to the guide so that the wire in the guide may be tied. The guide and head are mounted on a frame which is then mounted to a baler. When it is necessary to service or otherwise maintain the guide or head with existing systems, the guide, head or other part of the system often has to be disassembled. The close spacing of the guide and tieing head and the overall tight construction of the system requires such disassembly, such as when it is necessary to work on the tieing head. As may be appreciated, disassembly of the system for maintenance and repair is time consuming and therefore costly. Not only are labor costs involved, but repair also means that the baling system is shut down. Therefore, existing system are not as efficient as desired when repairs are necessary.
Furthermore, safety is an issue as well where maintenance or repair is involved. For example, various components of existing tieing systems are large and heavy due to the fact that they are usually fabricated of steel or some other metal. A tieing head alone for such system may weigh several hundred pounds. Therefore, when disassembling or maintaining such systems, care must be taken to remove or otherwise secure any parts which may inadvertently and undesirably fall or move during the maintenance procedure.
Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism which ties and secures a wire or other similar binding device around a bale of compressed material and which may be readily and cost-effectively maintained or repaired.
It is another objective of the present invention to reduce the amount of disassembly of a system that is required for maintenance and repair.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a tieing system in which the tieing head is readily accessible for repair and maintenance.
It is still another objective to provide for safe maintenance and repair of a wire tieing system.
These and other objectives will become more readily apparent from the Summary of the Invention and Detailed Description set forth hereinbelow.
A wire tieing system in accordance with the principles of the present invention is utilized to wrap and tie a bale of material with wire. The system comprises a wire guide for guiding the wire around a bale of material and a tieing head configured for receiving portions of wire in the guide and securing the portions together to tie the wire, and therefore, tie a bale of material. Generally the tieing head is mounted at the top or proximate the wire guide. The apparatus is used with a baling device of suitable construction.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a tieing head assembly has a tieing head which is pivotable with respect to the wire guide. The tieing head alternately pivots between an operating position and a maintenance position. In one embodiment, the head is manually moved between the alternating positions. In the operating position, the head will generally be proximate the wire guide to engage the wires being passed through the guide so that the head may tie the wires. In the maintenance position, the tieing head is pivoted generally away from the guide. In the maintenance position, better access to the tieing head is provided to a maintenance person for maintaining and/or repairing the system, including the tieing head.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the tieing head assembly includes a head pivot assembly which is operable, when the tieing head assembly is in the maintenance position, for preventing the tieing head from pivoting back to the operating position. In one embodiment of the invention, a support block is slidable beneath a portion of the tieing head. The support block lays underneath the bottom edge of the tieing head and prevents the head from pivoting back to the operating position. That is, the support block maintains the tieing head in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position. Therefore, the support block may be slid underneath the upwardly pivoted tieing head for maintenance purposes, and may be slid back away from the tieing head so that the head may return to the operating position to tie wires.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the support block further comprises a pin which is operable to engage an aperture within the tieing head to lock the head in the operating position and to prevent it from being inadvertently pivoted to the maintenance position during a wire tieing operation.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a locating pin is operably mounted to engage the tieing head when it is pivoted to the maintenance position to further prevent head from pivoting back to the operating position. Preferably, the locating pin is spring loaded so as to automatically engage the tieing head when it is pivoted. In one embodiment, the tieing head includes a maintenance aperture and the locating pin is movable for sliding into the maintenance aperture when the head is in the maintenance position to further prevent the head from pivoting to the operating position. Furthermore, the tieing head includes an operating aperture and the locating pin is movable for sliding into the operating aperture to secure the head in the operating position and to prevent it from pivoting to a maintenance position. Therefore, the support block and locating pin are both utilized to maintain the head in the upwardly pivoted maintenance position in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, and are also utilized to lock the head in the downwardly pivoted operating position, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention.
Various features and advances of the invention will become more readily apparent from the Detailed Description hereinbelow.